Koibito
by Random1377
Summary: Just a simple romance story, originally uploaded as a Valentine's Day special.  Shinji finds himself the object of a young girl's affections, but no one else seems to approve, and is he prepared for that kind of attention?


Disclaimer: yeah, I don't own Evangelion – Gainax does.  I just write sappy, not-for-profit fanfiction.  Fanfiction, I might add, that I will remove from the web should Gainax request it.  Oh, and another thing – if you have a low tolerance for sugar, stop reading now… or load up on insulin.  Yeah, it's a sweet one.  Thanks.

Koibito

By Random1377

Lunchtime in Japan was always a busy affair, especially in the high and junior high schools scattered throughout the country.  In halls from the Chiba District to the Kyushu Prefecture, students unwound and traded stories, jokes, and even samples of food from time to time as they whiled away their lunch hour.

In one such junior high, an unremarkable-looking boy sat eating lunch with his two friends.  The boy's name was Shinji Ikari, and while he looked like any of the other students (and was, to some extent) this particular boy was unique.  He was one of the three children found thusfar with the ability to pilot the giant, biomechanical defenders of Tokyo-3 – the Evangelions.

The two boys he was sitting with did fit into the classification of 'normal,' though Shinji found them to be anything but.  Indeed, Kensuke Aida and Touji Suzuhara were far from ordinary to Shinji because they shared a common, unusual trait: they were his friends.

"So you missed the first time?" Kensuke was asking as he leaned over his lunch, an intense expression on his freckled face.

Shinji sighed.  "Yeah," he mumbled, "and then it shot back."

The story of his battle with the fifth angel was his least favorite.  It gave him shivers to think of how close he had come to dying during the first encounter with the giant, diamond-shaped creature, and how close his fellow pilot, Rei Ayanami, had come during the second.

He cast a surreptitious glance over to where the blue-haired girl usually sat, knowing that he should not be worried by her absence, but finding himself unable to stop.  She was most likely at NERV headquarters, since she seemed to spend a great deal of her time there, but it still made him slightly uneasy not to see her.

She was familiar.  And familiarity breeds comfort.

"Hey Aida," Touji grumbled around a mouthful of food, "shut up, can ya?  I'm trying to eat over here, I don't want to hear about how superguy whacked a big, floating, deathcube… _again._"

"Is Aida asking to hear that one again?" Hikari Horaki, the class representative groaned as she reclaimed her seat.  "That'll be the fifth time in two weeks."

"Eighth," Touji corrected, pausing to drain half of the contents of a can of juice, "he asks outside class sometimes."

Shinji shook his head.  "I don't mind," he said quickly, setting his chopsticks in his lunch and waving his hands for emphasis, "really, Kensuke, it's-"

"Ikari-san?"

All four children looked up from their conversation, staring as they found a girl standing in front of Shinji's desk.  She was dressed in the standard school uniform, and her long brown hair was up in two loosely bound ponytails, much like Hikari's.  Her dark brown eyes were cast downward, apparently studying the floor at Shinji's feet, and her hands were held behind her back – her entire frame in a posture that spoke of respect for an elder.

"Yes?" Shinji asked, confused.

"This is for you," the girl whispered, holding out a small, cloth-wrapped package.

Everyone, Shinji included, looked surprised.  "A bento…?" he asked uncertainly.

The girl nodded, keeping her head down and her hands out in front of her.

Resisting the temptation to tell the girl that he already had a lunch, Shinji accepted the box, setting it carefully on his desk.  "Th-thank you…" he murmured, blushing as at least three of his classmates began whispering back and forth behind him.

The girl bowed formally.  "I hope you like it, Ikari-san," she said quietly.

"Wait," Shinji called as she turned to go, "ummm… what's your name?"

"Chidori Souske," the girl replied, fidgeting uncertainly with the edge of her skirt.

Several gasps could be heard as Shinji rose to his feet, bowing at the waist.  "Thank you, Souske-chan," he said formally.

An eerie silence filled the classroom as Chidori paled.  "Y-you're welcome…"

"Shinji," Kensuke muttered as the girl strode quickly from the room, "you shouldn't have taken it…"

"Why not?" Shinji asked, retaking his seat.  "I couldn't just say no…"

"Dude," Touji answered, "are you stupid?"  He folded his arms, shaking his head as he clarified, "When a girl makes you a bento – especially one as pretty and flowery as that – it means she's into you, you get it?"  He leaned forward, grinning broadly, "Like, REALLY into you…"

Shinji flushed, considering the bento for a moment before replying, "But if I said I wouldn't take it, she would have been sad…"

Kensuke pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.  "She's a first year, Shinji," he said skeptically.  "She's at LEAST a year younger than you."

"It's not like I kissed her…" Shinji protested weakly, "what was I supposed to do?"

"Say no," Touji grumbled.  "If you give girls the wrong impression, they'll never leave you alo-"

"MISter Suzuhara!" Hikari's voice interjected angrily.  "Just because Ikari isn't as rude and impolite as you are doesn't mean that you have to try making him that way!"  The Class Rep turned to Shinji, her voice softening as she commented, "That was very nice of you, Shinji… I'm sure that Miss Souske went to a lot of trouble to make that for you, and just because you took it doesn't mean you're dating – regardless of what Touji thinks."

Shinji shifted in his seat, nodding awkwardly.

The teacher reentered the room, ending the conversation as Hikari instructed them to rise, bow, and be seated.  Ten minutes into the class, Shinji received an e-mail on his school laptop.  Taking a glance around, he opened the message… and sighed deeply.

'You shouldn't have taken it.'  - AidaK

**

The following day was peculiar for Shinji.  He saw Chidori in the hallway that morning, but she was just heading into her classroom, so he was not able to stop her and ask why she had given him a bento.  Not that he was terribly keen on the idea, of course, but he needed clarification on what, exactly, she meant by giving it to him. He thought he might have a chance to see her during the lunch period, but at 11:36 he was pulled out of class to deal with an unexpected situation.

A possible replacement for the Evangelions, titled JetAlone, was out of control, and his guardian (and commanding officer) Misato Katsuragi, was determined to stop it.  Fortunately, Shinji was able to use Evangelion Unit 01 keep the machine from reaching a populated area and detonating while Misato initiated the emergency shutdown procedure from within.  

By the time he returned home, worn out and relieved, the girl with the brown hair had been pushed from his thoughts.

It was not until the following Monday that he was reminded.

"So where's your girlfriend?"

Shinji looked up from his laptop as the lunch bell rang.  "Huh?"

"Don't play dumb," Kensuke grumbled, "your little girlfriend – Souske."

Blushing, Shinji lowered his eyes.  "Oh," he whispered, "she's not my girlfriend.  I've only seen her once."

As if on cue, Chidori appeared in the doorway, glancing around the classroom until her eyes found Shinji.

"Right," Kensuke muttered dryly as the girl headed towards them.

"Ikari-san," the girl murmured, stopping in front of Shinji's desk and assuming the same, submissive pose as the last time she had come to see him.

"Hello," Shinji answered slowly, wishing everyone in the room would stop watching him, "Souske-chan."

Chidori took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm.  "Did you like the bento?" she asked quietly.

Shinji shrugged slightly.  "I couldn't eat it until after school," he replied awkwardly, "but it was good."

"Really?  You liked it?" Chidori inquired, raising her eyes to study the boy's face.

"Really," Shinji confirmed, glancing around at the altogether too quiet room.  "It was good…"

Chidori let her breath out slowly, a weak smile appearing at the corners of her mouth.  "I'm glad," she whispered.

"So why'd you do it?"

Chidori flinched as the spectacled boy to Shinji's right spoke.  "Ummm… excuse me, sempai?"

Kensuke narrowed his eyes, looking the girl over suspiciously, then shook his head.  "Never mind."

Chidori looked from one boy to the other, wetting her lips before cautiously asking, "Can I make you another some time?"

"I usually make my own," Shinji pointed out uncertainly.

"I… understand," the girl whispered, her shoulders slumping as she turned away.  "Bye, then."

Shinji quickly got to his feet.  "But not every day," he blurted.

Chidori looked uncertainly over her shoulder, but Shinji simply lowered himself back into his seat, blushing brightly as all eyes turned to him.  Swallowing she asked, "Well, ummm… how about tomorrow… are you going to bring one tomorrow?"

"Why do you want to do that?" Kensuke asked bluntly.

Chidori lowered her eyes, looking embarrassed as she whispered, "If Ikari-san wants to talk about it, I will, but I'm afraid it's… too personal to tell you, sempai…"

Kensuke scowled.

"I _would_ like to know," Shinji said quietly.

Chidori bit her bottom lip pensively for a moment, then nodded, meeting the boy's dark blue eyes.  "Can you talk to me after school?" she asked hesitantly.  "I don't…" she blushed, looking briefly around at the students around her, "I don't… think I can… here…"

Shinji considered this for a moment, blinking as Kensuke folded his arms and shook his head.  "Ok," he answered finally, "I'll see you out front at five."

The girl's shoulders seemed to relax slightly, and she nodded.  "Ok."

As she made her way out of the room, Kensuke leaned closer to his friend, unable to contain himself any more.  "What is wrong with you?!" he demanded.

"What?" Shinji asked, opening his lunch.

"You know what!" his friend snapped.  "Telling that girl you'll meet her – what's wrong with you?"

"Why are you getting so upset?" Shinji murmured, stirring his noodles slowly.  "I'm not asking _you_ to go talk to her…"

Kensuke closed his mouth, folding his arms over his chest and staring sullenly at his desk.  "You're being stupid…" he muttered.

Shinji did not reply.

**

The rest of the day crawled past for Shinji as possible explanations for the girl's interest worked their way through his mind.  Perhaps her father worked for NERV in some capacity, and she wanted Shinji to make sure he was kept safe.  Or maybe she had mistaken him for someone else in school – there was another Ikari in 3-C.  The longer he thought about it, the wilder the ideas became.  Maybe she was a spy, like Kensuke seemed to think.  Or maybe she was in the junior Great Chefs program, and wanted to test her skills on a world-famous Evangelion pilot.

By the time the last bell rang, Shinji had given up on trying to guess.

"I still think you're making a mistake," Kensuke told him as he gathered up his school books.  "Why are you going to meet her?"

Shinji spared him a glance.  "I'm kinda curious," he replied, "that's all."

"Maybe I should go to," Kensuke said thoughtfully, "that way if she is up to something, I can-"

"No," Shinji cut in quickly, blushing as a vision of Kensuke wearing a black suit and leering over Chidori (who was tied to a chair with a single, white light shining on her terrified face) filled his thoughts.  "No, thank you."

"Fine," Kensuke snapped, "but if she turns out to be a psycho stalker and kills you, don't look for me in Heaven."

"Yeah," Touji's voice cut in, "like you'll get there, perv."

The other two boys looked up as their jock-friend came into the classroom.  "How's the principal?" Kensuke asked with feigned interest.

"Man," Touji groaned, crouching next to his chair to retrieve his bag, "she lectured me for two hours – straight!  It's not like I killed someone… it was just a little joke!"

"I didn't see the girl's swim team laughing too hard," Kensuke observed thoughtfully.  "Maybe they didn't get it."

"And speaking of didn't get it," Touji grumbled, pausing to give the younger boy a quick cuff, "who's the biggest loser in here?!"

"Ow!" Kensuke complained, rubbing the back of his head.  "I thought the camera had film – honest!"

"All that work," Touji lamented, "wasted."

Shinji shouldered his bag, shaking his head sadly.  "See you guys."

"See ya," Touji waved absently.

Kensuke said nothing.

Shinji sighed as he made his way from the classroom.  _I wish he'd get over this,_ he thought, sparing Kensuke a final look, _I'm sure he's talking to Touji about me right now.  I don't see what the problem is, I really don't!  I'm still his friend… so why is this upsetting him?_

Still trying to figure out why his friend was so against him even talking to Chidori, he walked out of the school.  As he headed towards the front gate, he pondered his upcoming trip, still a bit confused as to why Misato wanted him to go along.  She said that it would be fun, but he did not understand what good having him along would do – and he did not quite believe that she just wanted him to get out more.

He pushed the thoughts aside as he spotted Chidori waiting for him just outside the school gate.  "Hello, Ikari-san," she said formally, looking as if she might be ill at any moment.

"Shinji," the boy corrected sharply, feeling sick just from hearing the honorific, "just – Shinji."

Chidori flinched.  "Sorry," she whispered.

Shinji flushed, feeling rather foolish.  "It's ok," he told her as calmly as he could.  "I just don't like titles and formality and stuff.  I didn't mean to snap."  The girl nodded, and they lapsed into silence.  After a moment, Shinji asked, "So what-"

"Can we go to the park?" Chidori said suddenly, flinching again as she cut him off.  "Sorry for interrupting," she apologized, "but can we go to the park to talk?  So we're not… near school?"  Seeing his confusion, she shrugged uncomfortably.  "I just wanted to talk in private, where people don't listen in… if that's ok with you Ik- Shinji."

Shinji cast a look around, noticing that a few lingering students were indeed watching them.  "Yeah," he said, nodding firmly, "ok."

Together, the two walked away from the school.  Neither spoke as they headed deeper into the suburbs of Tokyo-3, with Chidori clutching her backpack tightly to her chest as she led the way.  As they walked, Shinji stole a curious, sidelong glance at her, wondering what all of this was about.

_She seems so quiet when I'm around,_ he thought, turning his attention to the sidewalk ahead of him.  _But when I see her in the halls with her friends, she's always happy and smiling._  He frowned as a thought occurred to him.  _Maybe someone she knows got hurt when I was piloting or something?  I wonder why she needs all the secrecy._

He shook his head, trying not to fall into the futile theorizing that had led him in circles earlier in the day.

"How about here?"

Glancing up, Shinji noticed that they had come to a small, out of the way park.  It had tall shade trees, a small swing set and accompanying sandbox for children, and a little, grassy hill in the middle, offering a nice view of the city.  Currently, he noticed, it seemed to be empty, and looked temptingly relaxing.

Chidori smiled uncertainly as Shinji nodded, a peculiar look passing over his face. _He looked sad,_ she thought as they headed into the park, _but that kind of sad when you had to give away an old toy you secretly still liked._

Still keeping their silence, the two youths found a small bench in the park, just behind the swings and sandbox, and sat down – making sure they were not too close – and looked out at the city.

"So," Shinji prompted after a long pause.

Chidori took a deep breath.  _I guess I couldn't really put this off forever,_ she thought, gathering her courage.  "Did you really like the bento?" she asked quietly.

"Well, yeah," the boy replied, "I said I did."

"I know," Chidori said quickly, "I just, you know – sometimes people don't want to be mean, so they say they like something, or someone, and they don't, but they don't want to hurt…" she took a deep breath.  "Sorry, I'm just… a little nervous."

"It's ok," Shinji assured her.  When the girl did not speak for a moment, Shinji cleared his throat.  "There's something else you wanted to say?" he asked, feeling oddly comforted by the fact that Chidori was his junior.  Certainly, she was not that much younger, but just that one number implied a great deal in his mind.

Chidori nodded, averting her eyes from the boy's inquisitive gaze as she murmured,

"I want to be your girlfriend."

Shinji gave a start.  "You… huh?" he managed, finding himself totally unprepared.

"I'm not asking you to kiss me," Chidori said quickly, her voice taking on a desperate edge, "and… you don't even have to hold my hand, or do anything – but please, I just want to be close to you…" her voice lowered to a whisper, "I just want to be your girlfriend…"

"Why?" Shinji asked, entirely confused, "if you don't even care if I hold your hand, why do you want to be my girlfriend?  I don't understand…"  And truly, he did not.  The idea that anyone would have any romantic interest in _him_ was so unfathomable that he almost could not comprehend it.

The girl raised her eyes, trembling as she looked at the Third Child.  "Because I love you," she blurted, "I've watched you since you first got here, and I can't help it!  You're so nice, and so cute, and so perfect… and I just couldn't stop falling in love with you!"  Shinji gaped as she rushed on, her words coming faster and faster.  "Every day, I wake up and I'm thinking about you… every night I go to bed, and I'm thinking about you!  All I want is to be close you, Shinji – that's all!  Just to be near you, and say, 'I'm HIS girlfriend' – even if you never think of yourself as my boyfriend, I-"

"Chidori."

Chidori's mouth snapped closed, and she lowered her eyes, her bottom lip trembling as she replied, "Yes, Ikari-san…?"

"I'm… not perfect," Shinji said awkwardly, trying to sort through the confusing rush of feelings the girl's confession raised in him.

"You are to me…"

For a long moment, neither child spoke.  Shinji looked up at the cherry trees all around, finally whispering, "No one besides my mother has told me that they love me."

Chidori wet her lips.  "Well," she said hesitantly, "I do, Shinji… honestly, I do.  And I want to be yours."  She lowered her voice to a whisper.  "Please?"

Shinji continued to stare up into the trees, frowning slightly.  When Chidori took a breath, meaning to ask again, he spoke, still not looking at her.

"I don't know why you would want to be with me," he said seriously, "I really don't.  I'm about as far from perfect as you can get… but…"

Chidori leaned forward, hanging on every word.

"But if… if you really feel that strongly about it… I guess-"

Chidori abruptly threw her arms around Shinji's neck.  "I do!" she proclaimed, "I really, really do, Shinji!"

Shinji blushed a brilliant shade of red, looking around quickly to see if anyone was watching.  "Then, ummm…" he murmured, wondering if he should push her away, "I… guess it wouldn't hurt…"  He frowned as Chidori began trembling.  "Are you ok?" he asked concernedly, "Chidori…?"

The girl nodded, keeping her face against his chest.  "I'm happy," she whispered, her voice quavering.

Shinji looked at the top of her head in confusion as she began to cry.

"I'm sorry," Chidori gasped, tightening her grip on him, "but I've… dreamed about this for so long, Shinji… and I've thought about being with you so much… you don't know what this means…"

Cautiously, Shinji put his arms around the weeping girl, taking another look around to see if anyone was watching them.  "Shhh," he murmured, patting her back awkwardly, "it's ok… you don't have to cry…"

"You're so nice…" Chidori sobbed, "you're so nice to me…"

Shinji did not know what to say, so he simply continued to pat her back as gently as he could.

When she finally got herself under control, Chidori pulled away, blushing as she smiled.  "S-sorry," she managed, wiping her eyes hurriedly, "I… got your shirt all wet…"

"It's ok," Shinji assured her, breathing a sigh of relief as she regained her composure.  "Really."

Chidori leaned back on the bench, beaming happily.  "I'm your girlfriend…" she whispered, marveling at those simple words, "I'm Shinji's girlfriend…"

"I guess so," Shinji replied, scratching the back of his head.

Chidori took in a deep, deep breath, holding it as long as she could before letting it out in the longest, happiest hum Shinji had ever heard.  After a few moments of silence, Chidori murmured, "I have to go home.  My dad doesn't like it if I stay out too late."  She rose to her feet, smiling as Shinji also stood.  "Don't bring lunch tomorrow," she whispered, blushing faintly, "I… want to make you one, ok?"  She laughed happily, "I want to make lunch for you _every_ day!"

"You… don't have to…" Shinji answered awkwardly.

Chidori shuffled her feet for a moment before answering, "I know… but can I?"

"Tomorrow," Shinji said, trying to sound firm, "but then… I don't know… I don't think you should have to-"

"I want to!" Chidori cut in, "I'm your girlfriend now – I want to do nice things for you, Shinji."

Shinji could not help but smile at the girl's sudden energy, but he felt it slipping as a thought occurred to him.  "Chidori," he said awkwardly, "I, uh… forgot something…"  He shoved his hands into his pockets as he clarified, "I have to go out of town tomorrow… and I won't be back until Thursday.  I'm sorry…"

"That's ok," Chidori giggled, "I'll just make something for you then."  Smiling, she took a step closer to him, lowering her eyes.  "But I'll miss you, Shinji…"

Shinji shifted from one foot to the other and back again, searching for something to say.

He was spared as Chidori leaned forward and kissed his cheek.  "For a safe trip," she said, quickly stepping back.

"Th-thanks…" Shinji stammered, reaching up to touch his cheek with a look of mild wonder.

"Night…" Chidori offered happily, "I'll miss you…"

"Goodnight," Shinji answered, raising his other hand to wave as the girl turned reluctantly away.

Life is odd, he mused as his newfound girlfriend began walking home, a decided bounce in her step.  One minute you're all alone, trying your best to keep things together, and the next… the next, someone loves you and wants to be with you so badly that they are willing to offer you everything that they are, and ask only your companionship in return.

Truly… life is odd.

**

Asuka Langley Souryu dropped into her seat with a satisfied grin plastered on her pretty face.

"Well, you look pleased with yourself," the girl named Hikari murmured quietly.

"Yup," Asuka confirmed, nodding for emphasis, "just seeing their expressions was worth that long, boring boat ride."

Her grin broadened as she recalled the looks on Shinji, Touji, and Kensuke's faces as she had introduced herself to the class not five minutes prior.  Perhaps it was not truly a good way to be repaid for the trip on the Over the Rainbow and the spectacular near-failure against the seagoing angel, but it certainly went a long way towards lightening her mood.

_Stupid Third Child,_ she thought darkly, glaring at the back of the boy's head as class began.  _It's his fault my Unit 02 got bitten into – if he hadn't been there, I could have gotten a higher sync ratio and opened the stupid angel's mouth myself!  Damn rookie._

She continued to go over the harrowing battle in her mind as the class wore on, analyzing every angle of the fight and conveniently forgetting that she was the one that insisted Shinji ride with her in the first place.  By the time lunch period rolled around, the Second Child had convinced herself that she would have done much better had she been alone, and that the next angel was going to be all hers.

As the bell rang, Asuka stayed in her seat.  She did not have the foresight (or time) to make a lunch, so she was planning to see what the Third Child did for food in this backward little country.

_Maybe he packs his own, _she thought, considering the boy as he talked to his jock friend, _but I'll bet he knows of a good place to grab some… hello… what's this?_  She watched closely as a young girl with brown hair stepped into the classroom, causing the conversation around to grind slowly to a halt.

Curiously, the redhead watched the younger girl walk up to Shinji's desk, bow, and offer him a small, wrapped box.  "Hey," she said quietly, nudging the class representative, "what's she doing?"

Hikari looked up, blinking as she glanced over to where Shinji was taking the bento.  "She brought him lunch," she replied softly, "it's kind of a tradition."  She turned back to her notebook.  "Girls in Japan make lunch for their boyfriends."

"He has a girlfriend?" Asuka asked, reconsidering the girl.  "Isn't she a little young?"

Hikari shrugged, smiling softly.  "I think it's kinda cute," she said, "but I don't think Shinji knows how to take it."

Asuka looked over at the pair, pursing her lips as she found Shinji blushing intensely.  A brief scan of the classroom showed that she was not the only one watching – nearly half of the students eating lunch in the room were watching the couple.

"She's after something."

The redhead turned in her seat, regarding the spectacled boy two spots to her left.  "What's that?" she asked, forgetting for a moment that she was supposed to dislike the boy, "What do you mean?"

Kensuke nodded towards Chidori.  "She's after something," he mumbled, "has to be."

"Why do you think that?" Asuka asked flatly.

"Look," the boy retorted, "Shinji hasn't been here that long, he hardly ever talks to anyone, and she's not even in the same _year_, let alone the same class.  Why would she possibly want to be near him if she doesn't want something?  Why do you think everyone stops talking when she comes in?  It's just weird!"

"And your professional opinion on what that is?" Asuka mumbled, quickly losing interest in Kensuke's borderline-paranoid commentary.

"EVA, of course," Kensuke replied huffily.  "She's probably trying to get information on our defenses for some foreign power."

"I think you're right on with this one," the redhead muttered, opening her notebook and checking to see what class she had after lunch.

"Well," the boy grumped, "what else could it be?"

"You know something?" Asuka snorted, "I don't really care all that much."  While Kensuke mumbled something about conspiracies, the redhead glanced at the Third Child from the corner of her eyes, considering the younger girl standing before him.  _Girlfriend, huh?_ she thought, frowning slightly.  _How unexpected._

Generally, Asuka trusted her instincts, and her instincts on Shinji had immediately said, 'immature pervert.'  He was hesitant in combat, agonizingly hard to talk to… and had tried to peek at her when she was changing into her plug suit on the _Over the Rainbow_.  Seeing the other pilot talking to a pretty girl (and Asuka's mind classified the girl as pretty) did not change her opinion of him, but it did need to be factored into the equation. After all, she reasoned, it would not do to underestimate any of the other Children.

Not if she planned to stay on top.

Quietly closing her notebook, Asuka decided that she would keep her eyes on the Third Child.  _Who knows?_ she thought with a mental shrug, _Maybe he's not such a loser after all._

**

Shinji was frowning as he stared down into his bento.  It was not that what he saw was particularly upsetting, because really it was nicely laid out and colorful, and it wasn't that there was not enough to satisfy him, because it looked like there was enough to feed three people… or at least, Touji and one other person.  He was not even terribly upset that his athletic friend had decided that there was plenty of lunch to go around, and was helping himself to breaded shrimp at a prodigious rate.  No, what brought the Third Child's brow down was the fact that this bento (like the one yesterday, and the day before) had been made by his girlfriend.

And she had written 'I love you' on the underside of the box lid.

"Not hungry?" Touji asked around a mouthful of food.  "You should try the udon – it's really salty."

Shinji mustered a halfhearted smile.  "Is there any left?"

"No," the other boy replied after swallowing, "but next time, you should try it."

The brown-haired boy sighed.  _At least he's not staring…_ he thought dismally.  A quick look around told him that fewer students were glancing at him than when lunch had started, but there was still quite a few.  _Why me?  Why does everyone stare at me?  I'm not the only person that has a girlfriend!_

It was his opinion that people should mind their own business, and considering the fact that it had been over five days since the defeat of the waterborne angel and Chidori had become his girlfriend, he could not understand why it was still a point of interest for the class.  In that time he had only seen Chidori outside of school twice, both times meeting her at the quiet little park where she had asked to be his girlfriend.  Kensuke, he knew, still did not approve, but he stopped bringing it up on the third day, choosing silence and disapproving glares whenever Chidori showed up to bring Shinji lunch – which she did every day.

"Hey," Touji said suddenly, "I think Ayanami wants some, check it out."

Shinji turned around, but the girl in question was sitting as she always was, with her chin in her palm, staring out the window.  "I don't get it," he said, turning back to face his friend.

Touji blinked, a bit of oonagai slipping from his chopsticks as he looked towards the back of the room.  "She was just looking over here!" he protested, quickly grabbing the misplaced eel. "I swear!  She was staring at you."

Shinji looked back to the First Child.

"Maybe she was trying to decide if you were worth stealing – if she thinks about stuff like that."

"Hey look," Touji grumbled, "it's the hat masher."

Asuka rolled her eyes, taking her seat and turning her laptop on.  "Get over it, loser," she muttered, "it looked bad on you anyway."

"Why wouldn't she think about stuff like that?" Shinji asked, hastily adding, "I don't mean like, why wouldn't she think about ME, but why wouldn't she think about…" he struggled with words for a moment while his two classmates stared at him, finally slumping back in his seat and sighing, "never mind…"

"Look," Asuka said dryly, turning to sit sideways in her chair.  "Have you ever seen her look interested in anything?  Anything at all?  No, you haven't, so why do you think she would think about stuff like normal people do?"

Before Shinji could reply, Hikari rose to her feet.  

"Stand up… bow… be seated…"

As class resumed, Shinji stole another glance at Rei, wondering if she had indeed been staring at him, but her expression betrayed nothing.  By the time class ended, he was determined to pay closer attention to the blue-haired girl.  The thought of talking to her actually surfaced briefly in his thoughts, but submerged quickly as he realized that the conversation would have to start something like, 'Hey, I was wondering why you were staring at me during lunch.'

_Maybe she'll just say what's on her mind,_ he thought, gathering up his school books, _yeah right – when was the last time she started a conversation?  Has she EVER started o-_

"Ikari?"

Shinji turned quickly, his eyes widening.  "Ayanami?"

"Your phone," the blue-haired girl said placidly.  "Major Katsuragi requested that I mention to you the fact that you have not answered when she tried to call you." Shinji simply stared as Rei extended her right hand.  "And she would like to speak with you now."

Shinji took the phone, blushing as Asuka muttered, 'Idiot,' and brushed past him.

"Umm… hello? Misato?"

"Hello Shinji," his superior said, her tone altogether too friendly, "I've been trying to get a hold of you."

"I'm… sorry," Shinji stammered, "I must have… left my phone-"

"On the kitchen table?" Misato interjected helpfully.

Shinji's blush deepened.  "Yeah, I, well… I had some stuff on my mind, and I just… I'm sorry…"

"Shinji," Misato said, her voice losing its joking quality, "it's important that I be able to get in touch with you at a moment's notice – that's why you have a cell phone.  Don't let this happen again… k?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good," Misato said firmly, "now give Rei the phone, I need to talk to her… I'll drop your cell off in an hour."

"Dude…" Touji murmured as Rei reclaimed the phone.  "You never forget your phone… what's up?"

Shinji shrugged, his eyes straying to the empty bento.  "Not sure," he lied quietly, "maybe I was just tired…"

Touji shrugged also, excusing himself as Kensuke gestured him over.

_Tired,_ Shinji thought as his friend walked away, _yeah right. 'Forgetful because I'm too busy trying to decide what to do' fits better.  I mustn't run away from this… Misato was right – I can't afford to forget stuff like that, people could get hurt._

Slowly, he made his way to the door, thinking of Chidori and their 'date' later that evening, and never noticing his two closest friends as they spoke in hushed tones, their eyes following him every step of the way.

**

Chidori straightened as she spotted Shinji coming out of the school.  "Hi," she said happily, "ready?"

Shinji nodded, falling in step at her side, and they began walking.  Neither spoke as they made their way to the small park that was quickly becoming 'their place' (at least in Chidori's mind) and found a spot on the grass, gazing up at the slowly setting sun.  For twenty minutes, they simply sat still, listening to the sounds generated by two children as they ran and played on the swings and toys while their mother idly read a book.  Finally, the small family left, allowing silence to fall... and Shinji's concerns to solidify.

_She's probably bored,_ he thought guiltily, _I'm not much of a date._  He frowned, thinking suddenly of his phone, which once again residing in his pocket, thanks to Misato.  _Date,_ he mused, _I've spent so much time worrying about whether or not I want to date her that I'm starting to forget important stuff._  He stole another look at the girl's profile.  _I guess… I can't run from this.  I need to decide, right now, if I want to keep going out with her._

Where Shinji's thoughts were a tangle of confusion and indecisiveness, Chidori's were bright and happy.  _This is great,_ she thought, tilting her head to the side as she spied an ant carrying a crumb towards its hill.  _Its quiet here… we're alone…_ she fought the urge to giggle with happiness, _I'm with my boyfriend._

"Sorry I'm not like, talking all the time," Shinji said finally, breaking the silence between them.

"Its fine," Chidori assured him, waving one hand to dismiss the idea and watching the ant making its way to the hill, "I'm having a great time."

"Why?" Shinji asked curiously, flushing slightly at the forthrightness of the question.

"I just like being with you," Chidori shrugged, a gentle smile appearing on her lips as she studied the ants marching to and fro.  "Even when we're just sitting like this, I'm happy… because I'm with you."

Shinji nodded, wrapping his arms around his knees and staring up at the sky.  _I should at least try to be nice,_ he thought, stealing a glance at the girl, _she's been pretty nice to me – I mean, she said she loves me!  I guess it wouldn't hurt to be nice to her, right?_

"Hey Chidori?"

Chidori looked up from the anthill, smiling brightly. "Yeah?"

"Would you mind if I held your hand?"

Chidori blushed, feeling her heart suddenly pick up its pace.  "No," she whispered, shaking her head for emphasis, "I wouldn't mind…"  She closed her eyes, swallowing with some difficulty as Shinji tentatively reached out.  _Don't sigh,_ she thought suddenly, _I'm not going to sigh, I'm not going to sigh, I'm not going to sigh,_

As Shinji's fingertips brushed across the back of her hand, however, she was forced to break her self-made promise.  The warmth of his hand was surprising and gentle, drawing the breathy sound from her lips almost reluctantly as he clasped her hand.  The sudden feeling of closeness she had was only intensified when she turned her hand over for him, allowing their palms to make direct, soft contact.

_Maybe he'll kiss me…_

She opened her eyes, not wanting to miss her first kiss, but Shinji's eyes were on their joined hands.  The idea of kissing HIM flashed through her mind, and was discarded almost as soon as it arrived.  She had told him that she did not expect him to kiss her, and really – the feeling of his hand in hers was more than she had ever hoped to get.  

She was more than willing to take anything he offered.

They sat that way for several minutes, simply holding hands.  Then Shinji slowly pulled away.  "You should probably get home," he told her quietly, "it's getting late."

Chidori looked down at her watch, frowning as she noticed that it was indeed quite late.  She rose to her feet, brushing grass off the back of her skirt, and looked out at the falling sun.  Hesitantly she murmured, "Shinji, I… would you like to go out this weekend?  Like to the arcade or something?"

Shinji pursed his lips.

"Never mind," Chidori said quickly.  She offered him an uncertain smile as he looked up at her, hoping that he would not be upset.  _Always wanting more, _she thought, _wasn't it enough that he held my hand?_

"An arcade would be… fun…"

Chidori could not contain a happy grin.  "Really?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure," Shinji shrugged, fiddling with a blade of grass.

"K," the girl giggled, "I'll see you in school tomorrow, and we'll figure out what time and stuff."

Shinji nodded and watched her give a final wave and head off towards the bus stop, a decided bounce in her step.  _Her hand was warm, _he thought, raising his own hand to examine it.  _Warm and dry.  She wasn't nervous or anything…_  He frowned at his hand.  _She knows what she wants – why SHOULD she be nervous?_

With a slight grimace, the brown-haired boy wiped his hand on his pants leg, wondering if Chidori had been sickened by how sweaty it was.

**

Chidori was smiling as she paid the fare for the bus, allowing herself to indulge in a little daydream of just holding Shinji's hand and watching the sunset again.  _Maybe after the arcade,_ she thought, taking a seat near the back and glancing out the window.

She did not notice as the bus started rolling, then stopped, the front door opening to allow another rider aboard.  Her mind was just wondering if Shinji really thought of her as his girlfriend or not when she realized that someone was standing over her, leaning forward to stare at her face.

"S-sempai?" she stammered, bringing her eyes up to glance into the eyes of her superior, Kensuke Aida.

"Stop," the boy said flatly, glaring down at her with undisguised anger.  "Stop pretending, Souske – you're making a big mistake."

"I don't understand," Chidori murmured, lowering her eyes respectfully.  "I'm not pretending anything, Sempai…"

"Liar," Kensuke whispered coldly, making her flinch, "you're pretending to like Shinji so you can get something from him.  Do you think I'm stupid?"

"That's not true!" Chidori gasped, horrified at the very idea.

"Yeah right!" the spectacled boy snapped.  "A first year like you just happens to like a guy she's never even spoken to before!  You just HAPPEN to suddenly want to start dating an EVA pilot out of the clear blue sky!  I'm not BUYING IT, Souske!"  He leaned closer to the nervous girl, narrowing his eyes.  "You want something from Shinji," he growled, "and I'm going to make sure that you don't get it!  You stop messing with him, or I'll make sure you regret it, do you understand?"

"I… I'm not!" the girl protested, flushing.  "I just…"

"You just what!?" Kensuke demanded.

Chidori clenched her skirt in her small hands.  "I just… love him," she managed.  "He's the nicest person I've ever met, he's never mean to anyone – even if they're mean to him – and he just…"  She swallowed laboriously.  "He just makes me happy… I love him…"

"Just like that?"

The young girl nodded, too cowed to even raise her eyes.  "Yes," she murmured, "just like that.  I don't have a specific reason… I just love him."

Kensuke watched her closely, looking for any sign of dishonesty, but he could detect nothing in the girl's expression to hint at it.  _Gotta__ be another reason,_ he thought angrily, _people don't just fall in love like that!_  Pursing his lips, he mumbled, "You don't think he loves you, do you?"

"I don't know," Chidori admitted softly, "but that's ok, as long as I can be his…"

His brow drawing down dangerously, Kensuke prepared to point out that she was not helping her case.

"Sempai?"

"What?!" the older boy snapped, frustrated that he could not find the girl's motivations.

"This is my stop."

Kensuke blinked, looking around as he realized that everyone on the bus was staring at him with varying levels of disapproval – including the bus driver, who seemed to know where the girl was getting off, and was waiting impatiently with the door open.

Folding his arms, the boy stepped back, allowing Chidori to rise from her seat and start for the exit.  "Don't think this is over," he grumbled under his breath.

Chidori flushed, but made no reply.

Silently, she walked to the bus's door and stepped off, allowing herself a shuddering sigh of relief as the door slid shut and the bus pulled away.

**

"Hey Shinji," Touji murmured, plopping into the seat next to the boy as the lunch bell faded, "got a sec?"

Shinji looked up, feeling oddly relieved that Chidori was not going to be bringing him lunch that day, and nodded.  "Sure," he shrugged.

"She didn't make you a bento?" the jock asked, a decided note of unhappiness in his voice as he examined Shinji's small lunch.

"I told her not to make one today," Shinji said quietly.  "I still like making my own sometimes… and she shouldn't have to do it every single day."

"Ahh."

Shinji waited for his friend to speak, then sighed and prompted, "You wanted to talk to me about something?"

Touji nodded, glancing around to make sure Asuka was not in hearing range before asking, "Are you serious about that girl?"

Immediately, Shinji averted his eyes.  "I dunno…" he muttered, poking at his food.  "Why are you asking?  Is something… wrong with her?"

"Man, look," Touji said frankly, obviously having given this matter much consideration.  "She's kinda thin, she's probably like, an A cup, she doesn't have much of a butt, her hair is that boring brown, and to top it all off," he gestured to his own face, "she's only so-so.  I mean, she's cute, I guess… and she CAN cook," he cast a longing glance at yesterday's empty bento, stashed under Shinji's desk until class ended, "but she's not gorgeous.  So what's the big deal?"

Shinji shrugged uncomfortably.  "I never said it was a big deal."

"Then why not just break up with her?" Touji said reasonably.  "If it's no big deal, just tell her you don't like her – end of problem."

"Why is it a problem?" Shinji asked.  "She's nice, Touji, and she's not doing anything to you.  Why is everyone so upset about this?"

Touji groaned.  "Ok, look," he said tiredly, rubbing his eyes with great pain, "I don't really care all that much, you know?  You look pretty happy with her," he grinned, "or at least, as happy as you ever look."  His smile fell away.  "But maybe Kensuke's right – maybe she does have another reason for wanting to date you.  I mean, she's pretty damn persistent.  I just don't want to see you get all caught up and then find out she was just using you for something."

"Like what?" Shinji asked.

"Hell, I don't know!" Touji threw up his hands.  "You'll have to ask otaku boy when you see him, but my point is if it doesn't mean anything to you, and there's no real reason she should want to be with you that bad, let her go."

Shinji considered this for a moment, studying the surface of his desk with great care before finally murmuring, "You're worried about me…?"

Touji looked startled.  "Am I… ummm…" he glanced around, wetting his lips as he took stock of who might be close enough to hear the conversation.  "Not worried," he said after a moment, lowering his voice considerably.  "I just don't want anything bad to happen, I guess."

A small, hesitant smile played at the corners of Shinji's lips.  "Because you're worried," he shrugged.

"It's not like that!" the other boy exploded. "I just-"

"Touji."

"What?!"

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Touji grumbled, folding his arms and looking away.

Neither boy spoke again, letting the sounds of the school fill the void between them.  Hesitantly Shinji whispered, "Kensuke told you to talk to me, didn't he?"

Touji looked startled, then shrugged.  "Yeah, he might have mentioned something about it," he conceded, "but I don't take orders – I do things I wanna do."

To his surprise, Shinji smiled.  "Thanks."

Touji felt himself blushing.  "Damn you're annoying," he growled, "I told you, it's not like I'm worried about you, I just… wanted…" he fumbled for the right words to express himself.

Shinji's smile grew.

"Touji?"

"What?"

"Thanks."

"Stop that!!"

Shinji's laughter echoed through the classroom, an unfamiliar sound that caught many off guard.  One of those unprepared for the outburst of good humor paid particularly close attention, deciding that this was indeed a change in personality… and the cause must be investigated.

**

Chidori carefully stowed her books in her backpack, humming softly to herself and thinking of the weekend.  _There's that one arcade over on 14th, _she thought, zipping her backpack closed and sitting back down.  _I heard that one's pretty good.  Maybe Shinji knows of a good one – I'll bet he goes there with his friends all the time _Since her class let out twenty minutes before Shinji's, she had a bit of time to kill, so she spent it idly planning an ideal weekend.  _Maybe we can get some dinner after the arcade,_ she thought, resting her chin in her palms and cradling her face with her fingers, _if he wants to – I don't want to be too pushy._

Being pushy, ruining things, having Shinji say 'never mind,' these were the greatest of Chidori's fears.  She was ready for Shinji to break it off at a moment's notice – she was prepared for this from the second she decided to make him a bento – but she certainly did not plan to have anything she did become the cause of him pushing her away.  She reasoned that the slower she took things, the better chance she would have of making this last as long as possible.

And having it last was the greatest idea she could think of.

"Souske?"

Chidori shook her head as her name was called.  Looking up, she found an older girl with two odd hair clips affixed to the back of her long, red hair standing in front of her desk with her arms folded in front of her.  "Yes, sempai?" she asked cautiously.

She braced herself, preparing to be berated again for dating Shinji.  She could still remember the anger in the spectacled boy's eyes as he loomed over her, and she was not anxious for a repeat of that encounter from another of his classmates.  Or, God forbid, a potential rival.  One look at the girl's fiery hair, glittering blue eyes, and well-shaped body told Chidori that she would lose such a rivalry quickly and with little fanfare.

"You're Shinji's girlfriend."

Though it was more of a statement than a question, Chidori nodded, folding her hands in front of her on the desk and keeping her eyes lowered in respect.  "Yes, sempai," she said quietly, but clearly, "I am."

"I'm Asuka," the girl informed her in a level tone, "Asuka Langley Souryu.  I pilot with Shinji."

"Chidori Souske," Chidori replied politely. "It's nice to meet you."

"Mm hmm," Asuka hummed, studying the girl closely.

"Is… something wrong?" Chidori asked after a moment of awkward quiet.

"I want to know something," the redhead told her plainly.

"Umm… ok."

Speaking clearly, Asuka asked, "Why are you dating Shinji?"  She waited for a moment as the girl fidgeted, then spoke again.  "You're younger than him, you're not in the same class, and you haven't known him very long.  I don't really care that you're dating him, if that's what you're thinking," she said calmly, noting the girl's sudden tension, "I'm not like that little war-freak, Aida – I don't think you're up to something.  But what I _do_ want to know is _why_ you're dating him… I want to know what reason you could possibly have for wanting to date someone like Shinji."

Chidori considered this question, trying to figure out what the other girl really wanted to know.  She had learned that sometimes a person has several reasons to ask a question, and she felt, instinctively, that this girl had at least two.

"You don't need a reason to love someone," she replied finally, blushing and smiling at the same time.  "He just makes me happy."

"Love?" Asuka echoed, feeling no small amount of confusion.  "Who said anything about love?"

"You asked why I wanted to be with him," Chidori murmured simply.  "I love him."

"Wow," Asuka observed, "you're dumb.  You hardly even know him – how could you love him?"

Chidori's smile remained in place as she bowed her head.  "I don't know," she admitted, "I just do."  After a moment she raised her head, tilting it to the side as she curiously inquired, "Have you ever been in love, sempai?"

"That's… none of your business," Asuka said uneasily, feeling her cheeks color as she thought suddenly of Kaji.  _He's the only man in my life WORTH loving, _she thought with some conviction, _he's perfect._  Yet in spite of this train of thought, she had her doubts.  She certainly had never experienced the feeling of warmth and pleasure that she got when Kaji was near her, but was it love?  Hell if she knew.

"I'm sorry," Chidori murmured, shifting from one foot to the other.  "I didn't mean to pry, sempai."

Asuka stared at the girl, feeling an irrational urge to prove herself.  "I am right now, actually," she said coolly.  "There's a man I love very much."

The younger girl smiled.  "Isn't it the best?" she asked happily.

"Ummm… yeah…" Asuka replied, somewhat taken aback by the girl's sudden burst of energy.

"Do you hold his hand all the time?" Chidori asked eagerly, leaning closer.  "Is he a good kisser?"

"We haven't…. gone that far yet," Asuka said, finding herself off guard and defensive.  "We're taking it slow."  She frowned.  _Yeah, really, really slow – like so slow that he won't even look at me._

Chidori was nodding enthusiastically.  "So are we," she said brightly.  "We've held hands, but that's it.  I mean, I wouldn't mind if he wanted to kiss me, but I don't want to make him feel pre-" she cut herself off.  "I'm sorry, sempai," she said quietly, blushing bright red, "I'm sure you don't want to know all this, please forgive me for being so bold."

"It's… no big deal," Asuka assured her uneasily, reminding herself that Japanese and German rules of propriety and respect were very different… and trying not to think of kisses.  If she dwelled too long, she knew, it would only bring frustration.  Kissing was one of the great mysteries she longed to bring to light.

A strange silence descended as Asuka considered all that the girl had said.  It was broken finally when Chidori smiled and said, "Good luck with your boyfriend, Souryu-Sempai."

"Thanks," Asuka replied flatly, not really knowing what else to say, "you too."  She watched as the girl walked off, humming happily to herself.  _My boyfriend,_ she thought, frowning deeply.  She turned for the door, and froze as she found Shinji standing just outside, talking to Chidori.  As far as she could tell, he had not seen her, so she watched closely, making sure she did not draw attention to herself.  The Third Child was not smiling outright, as Asuka thought most boys would when talking to their girlfriends, but he did look a bit more comfortable than she was used to.

All told, she estimated that the conversation lasted less than thirty seconds, and it ended with Shinji handing Chidori an empty bento, bowing slightly, and turning to walk away.  There was no physical contact that Asuka could see.  No small touch as the bento was passed to Chidori, no peck on the cheek, not even a pat on the shoulder or discrete handholding.  In fact, it hardly seemed that it was more than an upperclassman returning a loaned lunchbox.  However, as Chidori stowed the box in her backpack and headed out the door, Asuka noticed something.

Chidori was beaming.  Not just smiling, as she had in their conversation, but actually beaming.

"Strange kid," Asuka whispered, glancing out the window.

Five minutes later, Asuka was on her way home, the beginnings of an idea forming in her talented mind.  An idea based on nothing more than the happy smile and innocent words of a strange kid.

**

The park was warm and brightly lit on Sunday afternoon, giving a soft glow to the trees and liming their slowly turning leaves in shades of orange and red.  Though it was still very warm, and would be forever according to the meteorologists, the trees still recognized the feel of fall, and longed to shed their spring and summer dress.  Chidori and Shinji sat on the small, grassy hill in the park, their conversation about the arcade visit long since having faded, and watched the slowly falling sun.

Chidori slid a little closer to Shinji, smiling timidly as her hip touched his, and took a deep breath.  "I had fun today," she said quietly, feeling that the silence between them had gone on long enough.  "I really like being with you Shinji."

Shinji blushed faintly but made not immediate reply.  Idly, he leaned forward and began plucking blades of grass out of the ground, one by one, and tossing them to the side.

"Did you… have fun?" Chidori asked hesitantly.  When Shinji nodded, keeping his eyes averted, she smiled.  "I'm glad."  She waited until he turned back to her again before whispering, "I really do love you, Shinji… and I want to spend more time with you.  We don't have to go out a lot or anything, but I was thinking, maybe, you might like to come to my house sometimes – you know, to hang out and watch movies, or talk, or cook, I heard that you like to cook, and…"  She trailed off, blushing brightly.  "Sorry," she murmured, "I know I kinda talk a lot… but I just…" she waved one hand, "I can't help it when I'm with you.  I just… get all silly and happy…"

Shrugging slightly, Shinji murmured, "It's ok… it doesn't bother me."

"I'm glad," Chidori sighed, honestly relieved.  After another moment of quiet she said, "So, ummm… would you like to?  Come over sometime, I mean.  I don't want you to think I'm pushing," she said quickly, "I just, you know, if you wanted to come over, we could find something to do, like watching a movie or-" she cut herself off abruptly, hanging her head in shame.  "Sorry… I'm doing it again."

Shinji waved her apology away, considered her offer to spend more time together and trying to decide if he could simply leave the question unanswered.  Avoiding confrontation and uncomfortable situations was something he was quite skilled at – it was how he survived in a world where he only perceived hurt and loneliness.  But Chidori… Chidori was only offering companionship and love.  Did he really have any valid excuse, or reason, to reject that?

"Maybe some time."

Chidori beamed.  "K."

_At least she's happy,_ Shinji thought as they lapsed back into silence, _maybe… maybe I can do something besides hurt people… maybe…_  He frowned, thinking that there was something suddenly that he should be asking about her invitation to visit, but he could not bring it in to focus.

Quietly, Chidori leaned against his shoulder, resting her head against him and closing her eyes.  Gently, she inhaled, taking in the smell of soap and deodorant that she associated only with him.  She did not care if the others were right.  Maybe Shinji was ambivalent about being her boyfriend – she honestly did not know.  She knew, from watching others try, that getting him to speak his mind was very difficult, and it was not something she wanted to undertake in any event.  

_But that's ok,_ she thought happily, _I won't push you, Shinji… all I want is to be with you – nothing more.  Anything… anything you want, just take it.  I won't stop you…_

"You're shivering," Shinji said quietly.

"Just a little chilly," she lied.  She did not want to tell him the truth – that she was shaking because she was happy.  If it did not make sense to her, why would it make sense to him?

Shifting slightly, she pressed closer to his side, wanting to be as near him as possible.

Keeping her eyes tightly closed, Chidori simply breathed.  What more could life possibly hold?  How could there be any deeper meaning, any more powerful sweetness than sitting next to one's lover and basking in the warm, fading light of a glorious sunset?

"Do you want to go home?" Shinji asked softly.  "It's going to be dark soon, I don't want you to get in trouble."

Chidori shook her head.  "Can we stay a few more minutes?" she whispered.  "It's so quiet…"

Her pulse quickened as she felt Shinji's head turn towards her, and she held her breath, wetting her lips with the tip of her tongue and tilting her head back slightly – just in case.  She thought, maybe that she felt the boy's lips brush her cheek, but it might have been her imagination, as a moment later, she felt him turn his head back to face forward.  Letting her breath out slowly, she smiled.

_Stupid,_ she thought, mentally berating herself, _just promised you wouldn't push, then practically…_

Her thought trailed off as she felt Shinji's left arm come up and settle across her back, his palm gently cupping her shoulder and pulling her closer.  She opened her eyes, glancing at his profile to see if anything in his expression had changed, but he was still staring straight ahead.

Resisting the temptation to kiss his cheek, Chidori carefully reached up and put her hand over his, holding her breath in case he should decide that this was too much and pull away.  When he made no move to retreat, Chidori let out a long, content sigh… and settled deeper into his embrace.

The End

Author's notes: This story was started with the title word as the only point of focus.  I concentrated on giving Chidori one defining characteristic – unconditional adoration – and let everything else spin out from there, from Shinji's reaction to the reactions of those around him, I based it all on her feelings.  Chidori herself was not fully realized until page 7 or so.  Up to that point, she was just 'the girl' – on paper and in my mind – and did not even have a definite _look_, let alone personality.  At that point I went about the business of visualizing the type of person that would fall (hard) for Shinji.  I didn't want her to be like the other characters, and I didn't want her to be a doormat, but I did want her to be absolutely dedicated to being his.  I wanted her to be polite, but energetic and happy – especially around Shinji, the object of her affections.  And I really, REALLY wanted to get the point across that she had no ulterior motives.  She was (is) nothing more than a girl in love.  I have some plans for a sequel, but I don't know if I'll get to it anytime soon since I've got other irons in the fire.  I'll probably get around to it someday though… I'm a sucker for romance, and while this one is rather sugary (yes, I admit it) I think it's kinda nice.  Just a quiet, gentle little love story.

World needs more of those…

Pre-read was handled by Ryoma – who made me promise not to tell anyone that he really prefers the mushy stuff to mecha.  Don't worry, man, your secret's safe with me!   ^_~  Also, pre-reading for the first time for me, is Lord Malachite – the first, self-proclaimed Chidori fiend.  Here, man, hope this is enough to get you by…

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


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